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HomeMy WebLinkAboutParks and Recreation - 04/03/2023APPROVED MINUTES PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MONDAY, APRIL 3, 2023 7:00 P.M. CITY CENTER 8080 Mitchell Road, Heritage Rooms COMMISSION MEMBERS: Patrice Erickson, Chair; Tom Poul, Vice Chair; Saratbabu Atluru, Deepa Bhujle, Cecilia Cervantes, Pedro Curry, Duane Hookom, Annie Klodd, Shanti Shah, Keith Tschohl, Ashley Young STUDENT REPRESENTATIVES: Pranay Dhiman, Patrick Landwehr, Khoi Nguyen, Marissa Peterson, Dain Volz, Ellie Watanabe, Emilija Zarin CITY STAFF: Jay Lotthammer, Parks and Recreation Director Lori Brink, Recreation Manager Matt Bourne, Parks and Natural Resources Manager Valerie Verley, Community Center Manager RECORDING SECRETARY: Jodie Fenske Chair Erickson called the meeting to order at 7:05 p.m. Commission Members Saratbabu Atluru, Pedro Curry, and Keith Tschohl were absent. Student Representatives Pranay Dhiman, Patrick Landwehr, Ellie Watanabe, and Emilija Zarin were absent. Community Center Manager Val Verley was absent. Eden Prairie resident Steve Clifton was in attendance. Parks and Recreation Director Jay Lotthammer introduced the two new Commission members, Duane Hookom and Annie Klodd. The entire group provided a brief introduction of themselves. I. APPROVAL OF AGENDA Motion: Commission Member Young moved, seconded by Vice Chair Poul, to approve the agenda as presented. Motion carried 8-0. II. APPROVAL OF PRNR MINUTES Motion: Commission Member Young moved, seconded by Commission Member Cervantes, to approve the March 6, 2023 PRNR Commission minutes as presented. Motion carried 8-0. III. REPORT OF CITY COUNCIL ACTION Lotthammer reported on several actions recently taken by the City Council. PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES April 3, 2023 Page 2 A. DONATION TO OUTDOOR CENTER Council adopted a Resolution accepting a donation to the Outdoor Center in the amount of $500 from the Eden Prairie Lions Club to go toward Outdoor Center programming. B. DONATION TO VARIOUS SPECIAL EVENTS Council adopted a Resolution accepting a donation in the amount of $500 from Old National Bank for various events: Animal Open House ($125), Arbor Day/Green Fair ($125), July 3rd and 4th Hometown Celebrations ($125), and Harvest to Halloween ($125). Donations such as this allow the City to offer special events at low or no cost to residents. C. MILLER PARK DRAINAGE PROJECT Council accepted proposals and approved an Agreement for Contracted Services with Hartman Company for the Miller Park Ballfield Drainage Project. Some of the ballfields at Miller Park are often too wet and unplayable in the spring and after moderate rainfall. These fields are often taken out of play and not available for use during these times. By adding a drainage system to these fields, playing conditions will be improved. Funding for this project was included in the Capital Improvement Plan. D. NESBITT PRESERVE PARK IMPROVEMENTS Council awarded a contract for the rehabilitation of the parking lot, several aging trail sections, basketball court, and installation of two new pedestrian ramps at Nesbitt Preserve Park to Minnesota Roadways Co. In recent years the Parks and Recreation Department has made several improvements to Nesbitt Preserve Park. These updates include the rehabilitation of the playground equipment, installation of a new splash pad, and installation of a new cricket pitch. The scope of this project is to replace failing bituminous in the parking lot, several sections of trail, and the basketball court. The existing bituminous has depressions and is cracking and raveling. Additionally, two new pedestrian ramps will be installed at two trail heads leading into the park bringing this localized trail network up to ADA Standard compliance. The funding for this rehabilitation project comes from Capital Maintenance and Reinvestment funding. E. ORGP PLAYGROUND GRANT RESOLUTION FOR HOMEWARD HILLS PARK Council adopted a resolution authorizing staff to submit a grant request to the Minnesota DNR Outdoor Recreation Grant Program (ORGP) for the Homeward Hills Playground improvement project which is scheduled for 2024 in the City’s Capital Improvement Plan. The Minnesota DNR is seeking local government units PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES April 3, 2023 Page 3 interested in increasing and enhancing outdoor recreation facilities in local and community parks. Staff will complete the application and oversee the construction if the award is successful. Funding received from the grant would cover up to $350,000. These grant funds would be used at Homeward Hills Park to redevelop the playground into a space that better serves the community as well as the programs offered by the Eden Prairie Parks and Recreation Department. Lotthammer added if this grant is not received, the City still has a chance to receive funding through a Hennepin County grant. The improvements are scheduled for 2024. IV. REPORT OF PLANNING COMMISSION V. PETITIONS, REQUESTS, AND COMMUNICATION VI. NEW BUSINESS A. WINTER HIGHLIGHTS Parks and Recreation Director Lotthammer, along with Recreation Manager Brink, and Parks and Natural Resources Manager Bourne, presented highlights of activities, events, and programing from this past winter. The ice show Encanto was performed by the Eden Prairie Figure Skating Club at the Community Center on March 11 and 12. This year’s performances boasted record attendance of eight hundred people for each of the two shows. The Aquatics Center at the Community Center hosted the State section meet for the EPHS boys swim and dive meet and the Foxjets Winter Classic two-day swim meet with over four hundred athletes and 650 spectators. The City was a 2023 Sun Sailor Readers’ Choice Award recipient for Best Recreational Center (for the eighth year in a row) and Best Waterpark for the Round Lake Splash Pad (for the third year in a row). The awards will be presented to the City Council at its April 4 meeting. Staff at the Community Center have been working on displaying schedules and online calendars for all areas in the facility in a digital format, phasing out printed schedules. Additional screens have been added and the format will be improving in time. Brink stated the annual Winter Blast event was successfully held on January 7 at Staring Lake Park. Over eight hundred attendees enjoyed carriage rides, skiing, snowshoeing, sledding, skating, a food truck, and bonfires. Due to the popularity of the event, staff are considering holding the event over a longer period of time to spread out the surge of the crowds. PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES April 3, 2023 Page 4 The Eden Prairie Players winter play, “Rehearsal for Murder” was presented at seven performances at the PiM Arts High School. Summer program registration was held on Wednesday, March 8 with the highest one-day volume ever at 5,400 registrations. Brink commended Community Center staff for assisting high-touch customers with questions, exceptions for age limits, etc. The Art Center Youth Open House was held on Saturday, March 4. Over four hundred people attended, which is the largest open house attendance to date. The Adult Open House will be held in the fall. The event was well-timed in creating interest in all the Art Center has to offer as registration for programming opened the following Wednesday. Bourne stated staff have been busy plowing parks, trails, and streets throughout this winter with the third highest snowfall in recent history. Forestry staff have been busy removing almost eight hundred infected ash trees, completing EAB (Emerald Ash Borer) surveys, and performing preemptive tree removals. Staff also properly dispose of infected trees that have been removed by contractors on private property. Surveys revealed two hundred heavily infested trees and an additional 150 showing signs of infection. Letters have been sent to homeowners of the trees showing signs of infection, informing them the trees may still be able to be treated and possibly saved. The City’s Deer Management program wrapped up for the year on March 31 by the USDA and the DNR. Due to heavy snow this season, the deer were not as active as other years. The final report is expected soon. Chair Erickson inquired and Bourne responded there are no signs of CWD (Chronic Wasting Disease) in Eden Prairie. The Minnesota DNR issued a feeding ban in 2018 which now includes Hennepin County, as well as more than half the counties in the State. VII. OLD BUSINESS A. PARKS AND RECREATION GUIDE REVIEW Lotthammer presented a draft version of the Eden Prairie Parks, Recreation, and Natural Resources Guide which staff have been working on for several years. Lotthammer acknowledged input from the PRNR Commission was instrumental in providing ideas and feedback. The City Council and City staff were also acknowledged as key contributors. Other input sources include resident and other user surveys, social media feedback, industry best practices, and the use of consultants. The guide is a commitment to Eden Prairie residents and designed to ensure that, both now and into the future, the result of the Department’s efforts will enhance PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES April 3, 2023 Page 5 the lives of everyone in the community. Previous Master/Comprehensive Park Plans (published in 1965, 1989, and 2003) emphasized only parks, open space, and facilities. Now that the City is highly developed and nearing full land acquisition, it is important to be deliberate about forecasting and planning based on the City’s current population and how to best engage them to continue to benefit their quality of life through the Department’s programs, events, facilities, parks, and services. In 2019, Parks and Recreation staff began developing a document outline and strategy for assembling and organizing data for the guide. In March of 2020, due to Covid-19 impacts, the development of the guide was deliberately paused to allow staff time to understand the changes and impacts resulting from the pandemic. In early 2022, staff felt comfortable moving forward with guide development. In the fall of 2022, a consulting firm was engaged to assist with the final design, development, and publication of the document. The guide will be reviewed again by the PRNR Commission and then formally adopted by the City Council in a few months. The final document will be online with hyperlinks and updated in real- time. Chair Erickson commended the efforts of staff for the creation of the guide and pointed out its usefulness to the Chamber of Commerce and realtors in promoting Eden Prairie. Commission Member Shah inquired and Lotthammer responded the guide will be updated frequently, including when projects and the annual report are completed. Commission Member Bhujle commended the use of pictures actually taken in the City and suggested adding the name of each location by the picture. Commission Member Klodd suggested finding a way to track usage of the document and downloads. VIII. REPORTS OF COMMISSION AND STAFF A. RECREATION SERVICES MANAGER B. COMMUNITY CENTER MANAGER C. PARKS AND NATURAL RESOURCES MANAGER D. PARKS AND RECREATION DIRECTOR 1. Annual Report. Lotthammer provided a copy of the Eden Prairie Parks and Recreation 2022 Annual Report to each member of the group. The report includes specific statistics and budget figures in every program area. Lotthammer noted prior to Covid-19, revenue at the Community Center was inching toward 90 percent cost recovery. Due to lower revenue during the pandemic, obviously the gap became larger, but it is once again narrowing with more people participating in events and programs. PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES April 3, 2023 Page 6 Commission Member Cervantes inquired if offerings of Fitness in the Parks classes increased during Covid-19. Lotthammer responded the number of Fitness in the Parks classes has increased since Covid-19 but the number is not as high as pre-Covid. Brink noted classes are now offered longer into fall than pre-Covid, however. Commission Member Hookom inquired how monies in the Parkland Dedication Fund are used. Bourne responded those funds are used toward new park improvements, not maintenance. Maintenance and other improvements to parks come from the capital maintenance and reinvestment fund. Hookom also inquired if hours participated are tracked in addition to participation numbers. Brink responded volunteer hours are measured but participation hours are not. Only registration numbers are tracked, not every visit. Internally, however, staff monitor how many children participate in programs, not just how many registrations are received. Commission Member Klodd inquired with the change in age demographics, if there is any correlation to a change in youth registrations. Lotthammer responded even though the number of youths is heading downward based on school registrations and census information, demand is still high for youth programming. More senior programming is needed as the community ages. Preschool and young children (with parent/caregiver) programming have experienced the most growth in recent years. 2. Commission Schedule. Lotthammer invited the group to the Commission Banquet being held on May 11 at 6 p.m. in the Garden Room of City Center. Mailed invitations are forthcoming and RSVPs are encouraged. The May 1 PRNR Commission meeting will include an update on the Miller Park indoor court facility. This will be the last meeting for the 2022- 23 student representatives. There will be no formal June PRNR Commission meeting. The tentative June 5 date for the Nesbitt Preserve Park splash pad and cricket pitch grand opening will likely change to a date after school has been let out for the summer for greater attendance. Lotthammer invited Commission Members to share ideas and topics with him for future meetings. E. PARKS AND RECREATION EXPERIENCES Staff and Commission members shared recent experiences with City parks and recreation programs, past events, park/building visits, news articles, etc. PARKS, RECREATION, AND NATURAL RESOURCES COMMISSION MINUTES April 3, 2023 Page 7 Chair Erickson noted the Eden Prairie Quality of Life survey is being circulated and she urged the group to complete a survey and to encourage friends, family members, and neighbors to do so. Commission Member Cervantes mentioned a portion of the parking lot at Franlo Park was full of snow. Bourne noted crews remove snow from many cul de sacs in the area and move it to the parking lots. Commission Member Young commended the improvements to the Duck Lake Trail bridge by Prairie View Elementary. She noted much safer sidewalks on both sides and a nice viewing area. Commission Member Hookom added a grand opening event and ribbon cutting is being planned by neighbors for late May/early June. Hookom recently toured the senior center and the wood shop. He signed up for a spring bicycle kick-off event and is looking forward to Tuesday rides with the Old Spokes group. He also attended a discussion group and found the Senior Center to be a welcoming facility. IX. NEXT MEETING The next PRNR Commission meeting will be held on Monday, May 1, at 7:00 p.m., in the Heritage Rooms at City Center. X. ADJOURNMENT Motion: Commission Member Bhujle moved, seconded by Commission Member Hookom, to adjourn the meeting. Motion carried 8-0. Chair Erickson adjourned the meeting at 8:25 p.m.